All Alone With You
by chromate
Summary: It wasn't easy to be the black birds among the flock of white feathers, but for Nishikino Maki, it wasn't a question of black or white, but one of sentiment and love. A story of Maki and Rin's journey from recognizing their feelings for each other to overcoming barriers placed ahead of them together. RinxMaki
1. Chapter 1: Killy Killy Joker

Greetings, everyone. I only recently stumbled across the **Love Live!** series, with Maki being my favourite character of all. Baffled by the lack of Maki/Rin fics in this site, I decide to write one myself. Originally I intended to write a one-shot, but as the writing process went on I now have to split them into chapters. It starts off with Maki and Rin still in their first year, and will gradually move towards their second and third, and maybe beyond. Most of the time, the story will focus on Maki's perspective of the events.

This is a story about reflection and struggle. I understand that most fans immediate pair certain girls together and take them as granted, but I want to explore more on the struggle part. Unfortunately, reality is not a fairy tale where everyone can be openly homosexual and that people around will be totally okay with it. After all, the girls have to deal with problems such as peer and family pressure.

_All Alone With You,_ the story title, is the 2nd ED from the anime **Psycho-Pass**. The lyrics generally fits in with the narrative of the story as a whole, plus it's a really good song. The chapter title, _Killy Killy Joker,_ is the OP to **Selector Infected WIXOSS**.

Plot: It wasn't easy to be the black birds among the flock of white feathers, but for Nishikino Maki, it wasn't a question of black or white, but one of sentiment and love. A story of Maki and Rin's journey from recognizing their feelings for each other to overcoming barriers placed ahead of them together.

Genre: Romance, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Family

Characters: Maki, Rin; Hanayo; respective parents of the first year trio; rest of μ's

Pairing: RinxMaki; might include NozomixEri as the story progresses

The image used in this story is illustrated by _うしき_ who posted the work on Pixiv, the renowned Japanese illustration website. The title of this work is_バタフライキス_. You can search for id=43658751 in Pixiv for this image.

As always, I recommend reading in ½ page size to feel more like reading a book.

And now, enjoy!

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><p><em>Chapter 1: Killy Killy Joker<em>

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><p>Nishikino Maki and Hoshizora Rin. Members of μ's, Otonokizaka Academy's idol group. Students in the same year, and polar opposites in a lot of ways. One preferred quietly reading while the other could not sit still for more than a couple seconds. One was the model student while the other barely passed her exams. One hardly socialized while the other had no problem making friends right away.<p>

On the surface, there was no way they could fit together. But somehow it worked, perhaps to the surprise of themselves.

Raised in a traditional family, Maki had always imagined she would get married to some man with a respectable social status, have children, and be content with the way things were. If she was going to inherit her family's hospital, it only made sense that way, and she had never really questioned that thought before. It sounded straightforward enough, and she saw no reasons in rejecting this path. By all means, she did not expect that meeting Rin would change her life in that way.

She had always enjoyed Rin's company, that's for sure. The orange-haired girl was full of energy all the time. It was as if her presence alone would brighten up the room, and despite all the silly things she did, Maki had to admit she was someone that everyone adored no matter what.

Still, that didn't really mean she had thought of Rin as more than a close friend. Apart from her strong bond with Hanayo, Rin never showed signs of swinging the other way (and neither did herself, Maki noted with hindsight). While Maki had heard stories of girls in her school actually going out with each other, she had never really paid much attention to that topic. She didn't necessarily think it was wrong or anything, but she never seriously questioned if she might be one of them.

So when Rin pressed her lips against her, cupping her face with her petite hands, Maki was too stunned to react.

It was a rainy day and the two of them were standing under a shelter in a park. They were walking past the park when Maki's umbrella broke, and with Rin not bringing hers today, the two had no choice but to stay for the moment until the rain died down. Maki was complaining that it was Rin who caused the umbrella to break, since she tried to use the umbrella to poke the fruit on the tree, when something caught the pianist's attention.

'Rin! Your hand is bleeding!'

Said girl blinked, not realizing her own condition in the beginning, but Maki quickly grabbed her hand and scrutinized the wound. Mumbling about how careless she was in a gentle tone, Maki went on to grab her first aid kit and take care of her hand. During her treatment, she didn't realize the usually talkative Rin had stopped speaking.

'What's wrong? It isn't like you –'

But she stopped. There was something in her eyes that looked different. Rin stared at her with an unreadable expression, and when Maki attempted to press the question again, Rin moved forward and kissed her.

It wasn't a deep kiss, though probably a forceful one since Maki's mind went blank and Rin looked to have a point to make. Her hands whirled around Maki's cheeks as she sustained the kiss, and it was only the need for air that prompted her to break away. Seeing Maki's surprised expression, however, seemed to have made Rin realize what she had done.

Maki slowly reached for her own lips, feeling the residue heat that Rin had planted. She looked at the girl with wide eyes, shock written all over her face, and she gasped as Rin took a step towards her. Rin's face crumbled upon seeing Maki's troubled countenance. She quickly broke eye contact with Maki, grabbed her bag, and dashed out of the place.

It happened so fast that it took a while for Maki's brain to process the whole development. She wanted to chase after her, despite knowing that she would get soaked in this heavy rain. She wanted answers to her unsung questions, and she wanted to just hold her for that hurtful expression that made her heart ache. Yet she couldn't find the strength to move her legs. All she could hear was a soft whisper from Rin, saying _'I'm sorry' _before she departed, and Rin's shadow gradually disappeared in the pouring rain.

She didn't know how long she remained on the spot. The sparkling sounds of the rain, hitting the trees and the park infrastructures, failed to calm her down. All she could think of was how heartbroken and lost Rin looked at that moment.

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><p><em>End of Chapter 1<em>

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><p>I'll try to update as soon as I can. Meanwhile, please do leave me a review to let me know what you think!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2: 水の中の雲

_水の中の雲_ ("Mizu no naka no kumo", literally "The Cloud in the Midst of Water") is a song by Yanagi Nagi, who's probably most famous for her collaboration with Supercell in past years. It's actually quite hard to think of a title for this chapter.

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><p><em>Chapter 2: <em>_水の中の雲_

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><p>It was nothing but awkward upon running into Rin the next day, and it didn't help that her fellow school idol pretended like nothing had happened between them when she was clearly avoiding her.<p>

The orange-haired girl greeted Maki as usual in the morning, with her playfully energetic tone, and clung on to Hanayo to ask for her copy of English homework. The three of them chatted for a while, and Maki was glad that the school bell rang soon afterwards. The pianist ignored Hanayo's curious glance, and proceeded to take her seat without another word.

Things didn't change for the better during their practice. Rin was jumping around as usual, joining Honoka in teasing Nico and running away from Umi's murderous glance, but apart from their dancing steps there was clearly a recognizable distance between the two of them. Nozomi kept looking at them with a raised eyebrow, and Maki tried her best to avoid meeting her gaze. For once she was glad she had never been the talkative one in the group, since she was in no mood to chat at all.

A week passed by like that, and no one had really commented on it. Still, Maki figured Hanayo had probably already connected the dots. Eri was also a perceptive one, so she might have guessed as well. Nozomi…well, even without any signs of indication that girl probably had somehow figured it out already. She could only pray that others didn't sense the increasing tension between her and Rin.

It wasn't like she didn't want to clear things up with her. Even disregarding what had happened in the park, she still missed Rin's presence. She hadn't realized how omnipresent Rin had become in her life. She missed the surprise hug she gave her in the morning. She missed her sudden attack on her lunchbox, always trying to steal food from her because _'it is a meal prepared by the Nishikino family's own chef!' _She missed the way she teased her during group practice. She missed the casual walks they shared after school, when they would talk about all sorts of silly things without getting bored.

She just found it ironic that the two of them were the only one left again on another rainy afternoon.

The crimson-haired girl wondered if the others were purposefully scheming against them, when suddenly everyone was preoccupied with something else. She could understand that Eri, Nozomi and the second-years had student council affairs to discuss, but the odds of that combined with Nico receiving a detention and Hanayo having class duty on the same day? She smelt something fishy there.

Maki cast a nervous glance at Rin, who looked thoughtful at the fact that she didn't have an umbrella with her. A small smirk was kept firmly on her face. The same way that she had been acting as always, as if nothing had ever happened.

And that annoyed her.

'Rin…'

'I'll see you tomorrow, Maki-chan!' Rin beamed, waving goodbye to the girl, and turned around to leave. 'Rin's house is nearby, so Rin can just run over there quickly.'

'What? Wait!'

Rin curved her lips upwards, but her eyes showed the same degree of pain that Maki had seen a week ago. It was so uncharacteristic of Rin that Maki wondered if this was her actual self.

'Let's forget about the past, Maki-chan, alright?'

Maki stared, her facial muscles tightening.

'We didn't wait for the rain to be over,' Rin continued, her smile growing more and more unnaturally calm, 'we brought our umbrellas and we left the park shortly afterwards. That's what happened, right?'

_No,_ Maki wanted to yell. _You're dead wrong, you're being unreasonable_, she screamed in her mind. But in reality, all she did was remain standing there, watching her classmate concluding her solo act.

'So there's nothing to worry about,' Rin turned around in a singing voice and started walking away from the erect school building. 'That's just the way it is.'

With much determination, Rin stepped into the pouring rain. There was no way she could have missed Maki's hesitant glance at her own umbrella. The crimson-haired girl must be pondering on the proper of asking her to walk home together, under the same umbrella.

Rin grinned at that thought. Her kindness hurt her so much.

What Rin didn't expect, when she was almost by the front gate, was a force tackling her on the back. She squealed and had to balance herself quickly so that she didn't fall on the ground. The rain droplets continued falling gracefully on her body, but she didn't move, not a single inch, as she felt a pair of warm arms wrapping around her shoulders.

'Stop acting like that, Rin,' Maki pleaded weakly, leaning her forehead against Rin's back. 'Stop acting like that in front of me.'

Rin felt her body shaking. For all the façade she had put on for the whole time, she wasn't ready to drop that countenance yet.

'What did that mean then? What did that all mean?'

Maki didn't specify it, but Rin knew what she was referring to. It was something that she had been hoping to avoid discussing. Her only wish was that they could just go back to how they used to be. How reckless of her to lose control that one time.

'Did that mean nothing to you?' Maki clutched Rin's uniform, ignoring the growing wetness of the fabric or her own hair. Images of her and Rin floated in her mind. Even though she caused all kinds of trouble for her and gave her headache more than anything, Maki also realized that there was nothing more precious than those moments that they shared together.

'Why did you do it then if you just want to pretend it never happened?'

'Did it mean anything to you, Maki-chan?' Rin retorted, raising her head to look at the grey sky. It wasn't a pretty sight, and she had never enjoyed raining days. They always brought her bad luck.

'Answer me!' Maki shouted, surprising both herself and the athletic girl.

For several still minutes none of them moved. Their bodies were getting wetter and they could feel the cold, but none broke contact with each other. Rin lowered her head and clenched her fists.

'Rin makes a mistake,' the orange-haired girl whispered. 'Rin's mistake is liking Maki-chan.'

Maki only tightened her grip on Rin's uniform. Tears were threatening to flow out of her eyes as she listened. Slowly turning her body to face the pianist, Rin raised her hand to wipe the tears out of her eyes.

'Rin doesn't want to hurt Maki-chan,' she murmured, 'so Rin really wants things to go back to how they used to be, okay?'

Maki bit her lips and looked straight into her companion's eyes. Rin wore the same expression like the day at the park. She looked like she would break anytime. Maki couldn't help but feel that it was because of her own cowardice that this was happening.

She hated that look on Rin's face, and somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she held the key to untying this knot between them.

'What if I say no?'

Rin widened her eyes, looking at Maki disbelievingly. Blushing hard, Maki however refused to break eye contact this time. She knew that if she did, then it would really be over. Her friendship with Rin would burst into bubbles, and it could never be repaired by any means.

'You haven't really given me the chance to respond,' Maki continued, her fingers finding Rin's and intertwining them firmly. It scared her that Rin did not say a word. 'What if I…say that you're not the only one who feels that way?'

After a brief pause Rin shortened the distance between their faces, and asked in a hesitant voice.

'…may I?'

Their uniforms were completely soaked and their hair a mess. Maki simply closed her eyes and leaned forward.

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><p><em>End of Chapter 2<em>

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><p>I know that I ended this chapter without really elaborating on their specific feelings for each other. Partly it's because I try to maintain a certain length for each chapter, and partly it's because there will be more in future chapters, on how Maki comes to terms with her own feelings. There will be confusion, worry and fear, but all will lead to recognition along the road.<p>

Please leave me a review to let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3: Snow Halation

Thanks for everyone's reviews, 'favourites' or 'alerts'! I understand that RinxMaki isn't a particularly prevalent pairing in the fandom here, so I really appreciate everyone's feedback!

One thing I should add is that I generally tend to use British English in my writing, so some spellings or usage of words might look different to some readers. I am a child of both American and British influence, and sometimes I use one side's word without consciously realizing it. My apology if that causes trouble in reading the story.

Like the rest of the story, the timeline will jump a bit from chapter to chapter. This chapter, for example takes place on Christmas Eve.

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><p><em>Chapter 3: Snow Halation<em>

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><p>It was funny, when Maki thought about it, but if anyone had suggested beforehand that she and Rin would get together as a couple, she would definitely burst out laughing.<p>

Her first vivid memory of her, apart from the morning greetings in the classroom, dated back to the time when Hanayo was fidgeting over joining the newly established μ's. Maki didn't get along with Rin at that time, both being stubborn in their own ways and refusing to back down. She found the cat-like girl annoying.

Getting to know her better, Maki found her…immature, to say the least. Whether it was thinking that she could practise in the rain or those childish remarks that she had made over the course of time, Rin was, in Maki's opinion, a girl with a much younger mental age. She wouldn't deny, however, that she was probably too mature for her own age to judge, considering she had been brought up to be the successor to a renowned hospital in the city.

So when did she start feeling different around the energetic girl? She wasn't sure at all. Hanayo said she had noticed something different about them after summer, but honestly Maki had no memory of that. Rin didn't seem to care too much either.

'All that matters is that Maki-chan is here nyaa!' she would then jump on the girl and rub her face against hers, causing the crimson-haired girl to shriek and the surrounding classmates, who were too used to Rin's random acts of outburst, to laugh at Maki's helpless reaction.

_Seriously, that girl,_ Maki smiled.

The young composer rested her back against the wall, raising her head to face the evening sky. Hugging her arms, she exhaled deeply several times in order to observe the white breaths fading in the air. It had always been a habit of her since childhood. For some reason she never grew tired of this repetitive act.

'Maki-chan!'

Rin's cheerful announcement of her presence made Maki turn her head, and she frowned immediately.

'Why are you not wearing a thicker coat?' she scolded, grabbing Rin's jacket and noting how thin the clothing was. It was the same blue jacket that Rin wore a month ago under the autumn breeze. Even though Rin had put on a pair of black leggings to protect her legs from the winter cold, it did not excuse her for wearing a skirt in this weather. 'Do you realize how cold it is now? You'll get sick!'

'Nya, nya, Maki-chan, you sound just like my mom,' Rin shrugged and proceeded to give Maki a hug. 'In that case, let's keep warm this way!'

Partly out of embarrassment and partly wanting to make a statement, Maki pushed her away and glared at her. The contrast between the two was too apparent: Rin's carefree, non-winter style versus Maki's thick winter coat and jeans. 'Y–you really think you can stay in the cold like this?'

Rin grinned sheepishly and scratched her head. 'I helped out with the volleyball team training this afternoon. With that much running and sweating, I'm totally fine.'

Maki wanted to say that she would still feel cold afterwards, even if the athletic girl was not it at the moment, but she was cut short when Rin exclaimed that they were late and had to hurry. With no choice, Maki let Rin drag her away from their meeting spot.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the cinema, and they quickly found their seats. It was a movie that Maki had been wanting to watch for a while, even though she wasn't entirely sure if the serious nature of the film suit the mood for Christmas Eve. It was a semi-biography about a pianist that she greatly admired, and judging by Rin's sleeping figure she knew that her companion did not appreciate the slow pace of the film at all. She sighed, though she adjusted Rin's posture to let her head rest on her own shoulder. Seeing Rin's innocent countenance brought a tiny smile to her face.

It had been almost two months since they started dating, a term that Maki still found hard to comprehend. True, they did share some intimate moments, hugging and kissing when there weren't many people around, but other than that it was almost like their lives remained the same. They continued their routine practice with the rest of μ's, shared lunch together with their classmates, and spent time together on weekends. It sounded like as if nothing had changed that much.

What did it really mean to be dating? To answer that question, Maki had consulted the movie and novel collection at her home, but none seemed to resemble anywhere close to her and Rin's situation. She had even sought help online, but what she found on the internet was too much for her fifteen years old mind to bear.

That didn't mean she did not like Rin, though. She was sure that she liked Rin a lot, and she didn't mind holding her or kissing her. What bothered her was that they seemed too different. It seemed like the two had very little in common. Common sense and scientific studies entailed that birds of a feather flocked together, so did that mean her relationship with Rin was not a normal one? Or worse, a wrong one?

'Maki-chan…'

Rin murmured, shifting her body slightly and wrapping her arms around Maki's to make herself more comfortable. Maki couldn't help but lift the corners of her lips. She relaxed and placed her cheek on top of Rin's head, feeling the steady rise and fall of the orange-haired girl.

Was it right? Maybe not, but at least she decided it could be dealt with later.

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><p>'I told you that you should have brought a thicker coat.'<p>

'Hehe…'

Maki sighed and wrapped her arms around Rin's waist, allowing her girlfriend to get warm from her body heat. 'You happy now?'

Rin flashed a sheepish grin and gladly welcomed the embrace. She buried her head on Maki's shoulder, feeling the warmth and soothing her shivering body.

Shortly after they left the cinema, Rin began to complain about the cold weather, much to Maki's dismay. The rich girl had wanted to buy her a coat from a shop nearby, but Rin insisted that she had a better idea that was more cost-efficient. Sometimes Maki wondered if she had spoilt her fellow school idol too much. Wouldn't going somewhere indoor, instead of staying on the streets, be a more reasonable solution?

At least they weren't the only people snuggling up together in the plaza, Maki reckoned. With the area being that crowded, people generally put their attention on the erect Christmas tree and other decorations in front of them. When she glanced around, there were other girls doing the same thing, so she relaxed a bit upon learning they wouldn't be getting much attention from others.

'Ne, Maki-chan.'

'Hmm?'

Rin raised her head and met Maki's gaze, her chartreuse eyes softening. 'Thanks for staying with me and being here with me.'

Maki was a bit taken aback by her statement, and fortunately for her Rin broke eye contact and looked above the sky, hence missing the surprised expression on Maki's face.

'It's snowing…'

Maki did the same thing and saw the tiny white droplets falling slowly. The surrounding crowd started cheering, particularly the children were very excited and began running around to catch the descending snow. Joyful laughter echoed in the area, and everyone looked happy with the festive sight.

It was that moment that Maki made up her mind. She called for Rin's name, and when the girl responded, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against hers.

It wasn't a deep kiss, lasting no more than a couple seconds, but when she broke away Rin wore a peculiarly dumbfounded expression on her face.

'What's wrong?' Maki asked, worried.

'It…' Rin gulped and appeared thoughtful, 'it was the first time Maki-chan initiates a kiss with me.'

It took her a while to digest that statement, and her heart was immediately filled with guilt. If she thought hard enough, she might have remembered Hanayo once saying, in her usually diffident manner, that Rin constantly had worries over their relationship, that she wasn't sure if Maki actually returned her affection, that she was only forcing herself on her. Realizing she wasn't like everyone else had probably already put a lot of burden on her shoulders, and the constant fear of ruining their friendship forever remained a still thorn to Rin.

She was a horrible person, Maki mentally snapped at herself. She bit her lips and pulled Rin closer, hoping to make her message clear.

'Idiot,' she deadpanned, though her voice quickly softened after that. 'Who says I'm going anywhere?'

Rin did not reply, but only buried her head in Maki's embrace. The crimson-haired girl could feel her girlfriend's body stiffen a few times, but she did not break her hug. She only kept holding her, and watched the sky being purified on the eve of the holy night.

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><p><em>End of Chapter 3<em>

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><p>This chapter actually turns out to be longer than I thought. I think this length is a good one? I'm planning for future chapters to be shorter, unless there's a big scene that requires more description and elaboration.<p>

Kindly leave me a review to let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4: All You Need is Love

I have published a new story, _Strawberry Swing_. It is a MakixOC fic, which takes place at Maki's second year and will have classical music as a backdrop to the story. If you want to read a story of Maki in a non-yuri pairing, check it out!

As for this chapter, we'll jump ahead a bit and move into Maki and Rin's _second year_. I think the chapter title needs no explanation as to who wrote _that_ song.

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><p><em>Chapter 4: All You Need is Love<em>

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><p>The rest of μ's accepted their relationship much smoother than Maki had imagined. They offered words of encouragement and teased them constantly ever since, as if they had known it would happen all along. The one thing that bothered Maki the most was Nozomi's knowing smirk, and Maki truly wondered if working at the shrine actually meant one would be granted supernatural power. Mind-reading, by any chance?<p>

The only person who had difficulty comprehending the concept of two girls going out was Umi, though Maki could sympathize with that, given Umi's strictly traditional family background. The initial shock on the blue-haired girl's face was hard to forget, and the archer looked torn between supporting her friends and betraying the way she was raised. It took her a while to get accustomed to it, and Maki couldn't blame her for feeling conflicted like that.

How would her parents react if they found out that she was dating a girl? It was a thought that made Maki shiver. While her mom might be more open-minded on such matter, she couldn't even imagine how furious her dad would be if he found out. In the past she had heard him make comments about homosexuals that weren't all that pleasing, to say the least. To her understanding, Rin's family was pretty traditional as well, and like herself Rin was keeping this a secret from her family. It wasn't something that Maki was proud of doing, considering that they had been dating for over half a year. Still, there was no need to put themselves in that position now.

The young composer had never really given much thought about her sexual orientation before. She had always pictured her future life as settling down on a marriage and having children that they bore, just like any other girls would have. She never found herself leaning towards girls despite her lack of interest in the opposite sex. Even when she was dating Rin at the beginning, or to an extent even now, she wondered if she could possibly love a male too. Sure, she liked Rin, more than anyone in the world, and she enjoyed her company and holding and kissing her, but would that change? Would she 'get out of this phase', as her dad had once commented on love between teenage girls, and become like anyone else too?

The sixteen-year-old let out a long sigh as she read Umi's lyrics for their new song. Unlike the previous songs that were about departure and keeping friendship alive (in hindsight, their songs after the departure of the original third-years all sounded rather saddening), this was their attempt to write something more cheerful. The words spoke of a love tale between a girl and her best friend, and her fear of confessing due to worry over a possibly ruined friendship, but at the end she did confess and they ended up happily together.

_Where is the cheerful part, Umi-chan?_ Maki wondered. Sure, there was a happy ending, but the transition from worrying to being over the moon was too fast. She made several notes next to the lyrics and decided she had to discuss this with Umi in more details, once the blue-haired girl was finished with student council duties.

'Maaaaaki-chan!'

Rin slid open the door, closed it, lunged at Maki, and hugged her from behind, all within the duration of three seconds. Maki almost let out a small laugh at how Rin still hadn't changed, even if she's the leader of the new idol group now and being called 'senpai' by the juniors,. Though, admittedly, that's what she liked about her.

'What are you reading?' Rin asked after she gave Maki a quick peck on the cheek, to which Maki was thankful there were no other people in the club room. The junior members of the new group knew about the two of them going out, but Maki still found it awkward to have any public display of affection in front of them. She found it much more comfortable being with the original cast, a feeling that she wasn't sure if it's appropriate or not.

'The lyrics for our new song. Umi-chan gave it to me this morning.'

'Hmmmm,' Rin continued holding Maki from the back as she scrutinized the sheet carefully. She raised her eyebrows at a few phrases, and unconsciously tightened her embrace.

'What's wrong?' Maki asked, not noticing the look of realization on Rin's face. 'This phrase sounds weird, right?' Maki pointed her finger at the first line of the chorus. She had been trying to think of alternative words for that place, but nothing came up in her mind. However, Rin remained still.

'You aren't usually this quiet.' Maki twisted her eyebrows and turned around to look at the girl, who had a small smile on her face.

'I like this lyrics actually. I don't think we need to change anything.'

'How could that be?' Maki looked startled. 'Look at this verse, _"we're always together, forgetting the world, being all lovey-dovey"_. This doesn't sound like anything that we have performed in the past.'

'Ah, Maki-chan is too dense,' Rin grinned and pressed a kiss on Maki's forehead, 'but that's why you're so cute.'

'Wha–what?' Maki blushed and stared at her girlfriend, who jumped to the other side of the room and took out some snacks from her bag. Chewing on her food, she pleasantly ignored Maki's continuous attempt to lure an answer out of her mouth. Not even until all other members had come to the club room did Rin say more about that.

Maki gave up, and decided to just go on with practice as usual. Umi seemed to be glancing in her direction from time to time, as if waiting for her to make a move. The crimson-haired girl used to feel rather uncomfortable about it, since that reminded her of the way Umi stared at her and Rin after they revealed their relationship to everyone, but this time something felt different. What that was, Maki had no idea. She made up her mind to talk to her after practice anyway to discuss the lyrics in more details, but right now she had to focus.

It was just a routine practice session, with group training at first and then she and Umi would give guidance to the first-years. It was during their break, when Rin leaned on her and passed her a bottle of water, that Arisa looked at them with a cunning smirk.

'You two are really lovey-dovey all the time, senpai-taichi,' the partly-Russian girl teased, and she was soon joined by Yukiho.

'Indeed, indeed! You two are always doing everything together! It's such a heart-warming sight whenever you two are together!'

'Shut up! Don't say things like that!'

While the rest of the first-year members were generally quite obedient towards the crimson-haired girl, the younger sisters of Eri and Honoka were always the exception. They would tease them whenever they could, and since Rin would scheme with them at times, Maki was always the lone soldier defending herself from…whatever this embarrassing feeling was. However, it was only shortly into their 'debate' that Maki stopped in mid-track, finding something oddly familiar with what Arisa and Yukiho had just said.

'Maki…chan?' Yukiho suddenly felt like she might have crossed the line, as shown by the worried expression she was carrying. However, Maki was thinking about something entirely different.

'Lovey-dovey, doing everything together, heart-warming…' Maki murmured, trying to remember when those items had crossed her mind before. Suddenly, it clicked.

She shot her head upward to look at Rin, who sent her the same knowing smile she had seen in the club room, then at Umi, who looked confused before slowly shying her glance away.

It all made sense now. She understood why Rin acted so mysteriously and why she liked lyrics right away. Thinking back to Umi's words, she seemed to have deciphered each subtle clue, and after connecting all the dots together she was now able to see the full picture.

This was Umi's response. This was Umi's final answer.

'Maki-chan, are you alright?' Honoka approached her and shook her slightly, bringing her back to reality.

'I'm fine,' Maki brushed off their concerning expressions quickly. 'What's more important is to get back to practice.'

After commanding everyone to get back to their positions, she stood next to Umi. The pianist opened her mouth a few times, and finally was able to mutter her thoughts.

'About the lyrics…'

Umi sneaked a look at her, fearful of facing her directly.

'I think it's good,' Maki said firmly, causing the blue-haired girl to meet her gaze. 'Thank you.'

Umi looked thoughtful for a minute, but returned a smile at the end. Rin observed the interaction of the two under her eyelids, the small, warm smile never leaving her face.

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><p><em>End of Chapter Four<em>

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><p>In case it's not clear, let's take it as that they continue their school idol activity with newly recruited first-years to form a new group. However, the new members won't really play any significant role in the story. Arisa and Yukiho might make more appearances, but the main cast will be the chief protagonists still. Due to my own incapability of writing sound lyrics, I'll leave it up to your imagination as to how Umi answered Maki's doubt.<p>

I thought about having someone else, along with Umi, feeling awkward around Maki and Rin, but I couldn't figure Honoka and Kotori playing that role, given their characters. In case anyone is wondering, the third-years will make their appearances eventually. But then, given what I am planning for next few chapters, I think this will be enough.

Kindly leave me a review to let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5: 約束

I just finished catching up on the anime series and movie of **THE IDOLMASTER**, and I am really in the mood for that, hence I picked Chihaya's song as this chapter's title. _約束_ (Yakusoku) means 'promise'. It comes from one of my favourite episodes of I-MAS. I really like the series.

Also, I have uploaded the second chapter to _Strawberry Swing_. Check it out if you can!

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><p><em>Chapter 5: <em>_約束_

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><p>She had never run any faster in her life.<p>

It was precisely fifteen minutes ago that she picked up her phone, and now she was standing in front of Hanayo's residence, panting and feeling the sore pain in her muscles. Yet those seemed not to matter, for when Hanayo opened the door to let her in Maki immediately removed her rain jacket and let Hanayo took care of it.

'Where is she?'

Hanayo pointed at the direction of the bathroom with a sad expression. 'I just sent her to take a bath, since she was completely soaked when she got here.'

Maki glanced at the drenched bags laying by the door entrance. Hanayo went on to tell her that she had emptied the content and led her to her room. Her mother was making some food for them. It was only then that Maki suddenly realized barging in like this might not be such a good idea, after all. Hanayo noticed her discomfort, and gently patted her on the shoulder.

'My parents know, so don't worry.'

It only stunned the crimson-haired girl more.

'They know? But how?'

Hanayo couldn't help but let out a small laugh. 'We've always known that Rin-chan likes girls.'

While it was true, as Maki had learnt, that dear Kayochin had known about Rin's orientation pretty much right from the beginning, she was surprised that Hanayo's parents knew about it too. It made her feel worthless for some reason, as if she was the one who didn't really know anything.

'How is she?' Trying to shake away any negative thoughts for the moment, Maki asked as they entered the idol research club president's room. She had always liked Hanayo's room for the simplistic design gave her a sense of peacefulness. 'How did this happen?'

Hanayo sighed and signalled for her to sit down first. 'Rin-chan's mother was cleaning Rin-chan's room, when she opened a drawer and found some intimate pictures of you two that Rin-chan hid under some papers.'

Maki inhaled deeply and found herself shivering, not because of the cold from the rain but from fear and trembling of such realization. When Hanayo mentioned that, she had a good idea of what those pictures might be. Rin had shown her the pictures before when she visited. They were images of them hugging, kissing, holding hands while staring at each other shyly. It wasn't uncommon for girls to take intimate pictures, but with that vast amount of collection it was clear to anyone that the two of them were 'just friends'.

'Rin-chan's parents confronted her about it tonight, and even though Rin-chan tried to play it down at first, the discussion got heated,' Hanayo continued, recollecting what Rin had told her, 'and Rin-chan couldn't stand all the insults they said about…so she fought back and admitted everything. They yelled at her and kicked her out, saying that they didn't want a daughter like her…'

Maki did not miss the gap in Hanayo's words, and she could only clench her fists in anger, having a good idea what the unspoken words referred to. Why was it a huge matter? It shouldn't be like this. They were happy with each other, so why was it a problem? Why did this have to happen to them? Why was it that her happiness ought to be defined by others who had no idea how she felt?

'Rin-chan can stay here for the moment. My parents will try to talk to hers tomorrow,' Hanayo sighed, rubbing her knees sadly.

'Rin can stay with me,' Maki blurted out. Hanayo gasped.

'But Maki-chan, Rin-chan will be fine here. She's been here many times.'

'I know,' Maki interjected impatiently, 'but my house has enough space for an extra person. It's the least I can do, too.' She didn't mean to sound offensive, but she really didn't feel like arguing with Hanayo over the matter. Her girlfriend was in trouble and she wasn't there to help her. She wanted to take care of her, to make sure she would be there for her.

'But Maki-chan,' Hanayo looked hesitant, her eyes shifting from the crimson-haired girl to her own bed, 'what about your parents? How will you explain this to them?'

Maki bit her lips so hard that they turned pale in a second. Hanayo had hit the jackpot. It was this uncertain factor that had prevented her from revealing her relationship with Rin to her parents in the first place. She simply had no idea how they would take the news.

'I…I will make up something,' Maki tried to fight back, but it was clear her tone had betrayed her.

'Don't force yourself on this, Maki-chan,' Hanayo gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. 'Rin-chan is already in trouble like this. I don't want you to be in trouble as well.'

Maki lowered her head, not willing to let Hanayo see her helpless and tearful expression. She knew her friend was perfectly right, and she hated that she didn't have the words to counter her argument.

Suddenly, the door to Hanayo's room was opened, and there stood Rin who had a towel hanging around her neck. Her hair was still wet from the shower, and she looked soulless as she entered the room. However, the sight of Maki kneeling there, with her bright purple eyes looking at her, shocked her.

'Maki-chan!' Rin quickly hid her inner expression and gave a weak smile. 'I'm surprised to see you here.'

'Rin…' Maki rose from her position and stared at the orange-haired girl. She frowned the moment their eyes met. It was clear, based on how red her eyes looked, that Rin had been crying the whole time in the bathroom. It only made Maki feel worse and she inhaled deeply, her shoulders growing tense.

The three girls just remained like that for a while, and, as always, it was Rin who broke the silence, this time with a nervous laugh. 'Why are you looking like that, Maki-chan?' she beamed, walking past her and putting down her towel on the chair. 'If you keep looking like that you will grow wrinkles on your face.'

Maki would have retorted with her trademark cynicism, but she was in no mood for that. She just kept staring at Rin, who was looking at _anywhere but her_.

'Kayo-chin probably has told you everything,' Rin continued, 'but don't think too much about it. My parents are like that, and they will likely change their mind next morning, and Rin's family will be a happy family again.'

'Rin…'

'So don't worry!' Rin grinned, her facial muscles tightening unnaturally. 'There is no need to worry over Rin's well-being when she's perfectly fine!'

Maki did not utter a word. She had had enough of the feline girl pretending like all things were bright and beautiful. She lunged forward and brought her into a tight hug.

'Maki-chan?' Rin was taken aback by her action and retreated a few steps, but she did not resist the embrace. 'Now you're overreacting! There's no need to worry. Trust me!'

Hanayo sniffed and glared. She knew why her best friend was acting like this, and she was glad that Maki was here. Rin playfully tried to break out of Maki's embrace, but her girlfriend only tightened it more. She was holding her with so much force that Rin started to feel her defence falling apart, the wall that she had been trying to build was broken the moment Maki reached out to her.

'There's no need to worry…' she whimpered. 'Rin is fine. Rin doesn't want to see you act like this. Rin will be…Rin will be…' As Rin's voice grew weaker, she also found herself losing all the remaining strength that she had. She succumbed to Maki's embrace and let out a long wail. She could no longer pretend that everything was fine. She could no longer think that everything was fine.

Perhaps she should have whispered some words of comfort as Rin broke down completely, but at that moment Maki could find no other way to express herself apart from holding her tightly. She didn't even notice Hanayo silently leaving the room and closing the door behind her, allowing the two to have some privacy to themselves. All she could hear was Rin's despairing cry and all she could sense was her own broken heart.

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><p><em>End of Chapter 5<em>

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><p>Originally, I planned to have Maki leaning on the bathroom door to listen to Rin's sob, but time-wise it wouldn't fit the chronological flow of the story. So I changed that into her holding Rin and let Rin cry in front of her instead. I think it works fine as well?<p>

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.


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